Representative photo
Kathmore said, “During the meeting, we also discussed a state-wide survey of out-of-school children, a separate policy to ensure continuity of education for migrant children, and action plans to prevent dropouts linked to child marriage and child labour . Another education activist, Anil Pawar, said, “The situation of children in Pardhi settlements needs to be studied and also the govt must pay attention to the tribal children’s education in Melghat and dropouts among the Korku community. Education director Sharad Gosavi, who was also present for the meeting, said, “The challenges of identifying out-of-school children in urban areas are many.
Representatives called for coordination with the labour department to address the latter issue. Educationist Suryakant Kulkarni suggested making gram panchayats responsible for identifying out-of-school children and fixing accountability at the village level. However, we have drawn a fresh plan and we will involve all stakeholders possible to identify these children and make sure every child is brought back in classrooms. Deol asked the NGO representatives to submit detailed recommendations on each issue so the department could consolidate the proposals and suggest concrete measures for implementation. The proposed exercise is intended to establish the actual number of children who have moved out of education and identify interventions needed to bring them back to school.
The move comes amid estimates from central govt surveys that around 11 lakh children in Maharashtra are out of school, while education department data indicate that nearly nine lakh to 10 lakh students remained absent from exams held in April. Pune: The school education department will compile recommendations from education officials and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to frame an action plan to trace students who have dropped out of school, after the Union education ministry flagged the problem of out-of-school children in the state. School education secretary Ranjitsingh Deol, who chaired an online meeting with senior officials, education officers and NGO representatives, asked the organisations to submit detailed reports proposing solutions to the issues raised. The suggestions will be compiled for further action, though the department is yet to announce a timeline for the proposed verification drive.